Teaching Arsenal

Akbar: Take Akbar template and make worksheet applicable to virtually any situation/event/individual. Students write one sentence justification of emotion. A-3 sheets to give students room to work and write.

Group Paragraph: (with marking grid) Fill in applicable question. Have students work in groups with recorder and leader. Construct solid thesis statement and substantiate thesis in tightly worded paragraph. (Use Alphasmarts)

Conversation Cafe: cow/pig/rabbit/frog converse about many and varied topics

ie: Castro/chomsky/south beach cuban aristocrat emigre/CIA agent

How is ______________ like Homer Simpson?: (use Comic Life) When a really stupid set of events occur... Students make one/two page cartoon sets of stupid situation.

ie: Alexander Kerensky

T Charts: Students create graphic organizer from what teacher sets out. Various situations/events. Good mid way activity.

ie: This group did this in response to and the following occured

Mubble: voice bubbles of famous (and maybe not so famous) people. Central image plus border information.

ie: bio info, challenges faced, accomplishments, main advisors/assistants, key events in reign, 3 words to describe, other

If you Give Mao a Country... : good for nation builder or dictator. Students tell story after the pattern of the 'mouse a cookie' book. (PJ)

Match Picture to Concept: Students take magazine images and link image to assigned concept and explain why it is related. (PJ)

Emblematic Conversations: Shows relational issues between various invividuals and social groups or classes. Symbolic conversation between people/groups with two sentences each. Topics chosen by teacher. (use masks if time)

ie: slave = plantation owner slave = southern clergy

Two Minute Play: about an event or historical process. synthesis skill emphasized (2 minutes!!)

ie: Cuban Revolution, WWII

Group Reading: read examples of good, informative writing. Simple. Students read out loud and teacher asks leading questions. Very effective if the reading is good. Controversial authors the best.

ie: Parenti, Chomsky, Johnson

Attribute Web: Central figure with concept map that illustrates key features about person/group.

ie: revolutionary groups in Tsarist Russia

Stump the Chumps (exam questions): Students break into groups and write exam questions based on sub topics given by teacher. (Stump the Chumps... a fixture on 'Car Talk') obtain snippet/podcast to show kids.

3 Level Guide: (Top Tools) Students read complex text and break it down into basic to complex concepts in three levels.

What If?: Students think of "what if" statements or respond to teacher generated "what if" statements. Many topics. alternate history.

ie: what if the Bolsheviks had earned a majority in the CA in late 1917? What would Lenin do?

Cartoons/Graphics: Students tell a story through graphic images. ie: Appeasement in the 1930s

Front Page Newspaper: Students design a newspaper front page with given topic. good for narrow or broad topics. ie: stock market crash, Hitler's rise to power

Thesis Statements: Given a set of questions, student(s) form thesis statements. good to illustrate main ideas.

Mind Olympics: already set up for Cold War. Many topics possible, good for large units. Students work in groups and complete as much of olympics sheets as possible. Game is answering as many random questions given by the teacher.

Limmericks: Students compose limmericks of given topic (many possible).

Chronology/Timelines: good for longitudinal topics (ie: FDRs economic policies from 32-39). as much detail as time allows. rankings of events.

In Class Posters: A5 size => pdf easy... ie: story boards: causes/course/effects of 1905 Revolution in Russia

Divergent Thinking Models: (TAYLOR) brainstorm/viewpoint/involvement/conscious self deceit/forced association/reorganization

Moral Reasoning Dilemmas: (TAYLOR) intro and closing activities... students work out moral dilemmas

Snippets: take 10... ten key features of a film/movie/doc

Posters: illustrating specific organizational structure. ie: LoN, UN, Communist Party

Make a Game: design a board game or other... ie: NAC 11 Civil War

Sourcework: tell the story of ___________ through sources listed... in text citations essential

Web Based Homework: already operational in 9/10... tied to unit with extension activities. much broader sections of work possible.

Catch Words/phrases: match best catch phrase/word for a given topic/individual

Trivia Game: school history.co.uk: walk the plank, penalty shootout, fling the teacher

_____________ Bingo: fill in topic, (bipolarism, bolshevism, whatever) think of questions related to topic. good intro activity.

Website Construction: what would Hitler do to accomplish: anti semitic agenda?, varied topics... keep to single home page!

Field Guides: varied individuals. groups as well. aka/authorized bio/unauthorized bio/take on ___________/like a broken record/connections/three words

Business Cards: pick individual. same parameters as mubbles.

Cartoon Interpretation Sheets: (from NARA) good for one cartoon that's emblematic of the time

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?: (JAKE) in grid form... various views/individuals/parties

Peer Editing: (already have form) good for specific essay topic (past paper questions)

Chalk Drawings: (planned in advance with enough sidewalk chalk!!) good for sequential issues. filmed with student commentary.

Hoedown / Perfect Day: students write lyrics in parallel with song. perform. lyrics voted on. performance voted on. could be filmed/taped.

Graphic Organizers: obtain from SHP as model. students design own.

Wiki Website: collaborative effort. build on topic and each student contributes. a website for the unit. Problem: getting the web editor. students simply do one page and it is not hyperlinked.

White Board Intellectual Capital: (JAKE) student led. key features/topics on board. they present. problem: how to record capital once produced??

Ken Burns Style Documentary: use stills and focus in on them to tell story. good for biography issues. some event/process. special software? could you do it with footage?

Poster Analysis on Internet: propaganda mostly SPP units perfect. variation: students could design own poster.

Rip her to shreds...: students take polemical thesis and tear it apart. ie: powell's wilson book.

Matching Cartoons: match cartoons on file with varied concepts. have students write own caption.

Song Lyrics: unlike perfect day... students compose own lyrics to describe concept/idea. choose own.

WWWWWH?: who/what/when/where/why/how??? great for intro or info dump.

D and D format: students assume roles of characters within historical. use character development within d/d format. dice determines eventualities. students can design own "dungeons".

Upside/Downside: ie: bolshevik centralization, any topic with both. grid filled out collectively in class.

POV: point of view. students react to various situations with different pov. random. teacher led.

Political Spectrum: beginning activity. set parameters of political discourse. L________C________R

The Dialectic: explains change. thesis (status quo) + antithesis (antagonistic element) = synthesis (melding of two, becomes status quo. ie: thesis (autocracy/monarchy) + antithesis (liberalization) = synthesis (const. monarchy)

Hot Seat: students think of BBQ questions... ie: Lenin gets a grilling what is his perspectives on NEP, Trotsky, peasants, Bolshevik hardliners??. each student get on seat.

Avoid Passive... Be Active!!: OWL handout from Purdue. PREACH THE GOSPEL!! now is the time!!

Pick a Quote: students pick a quote from many quote sites... justify why what they picked is #1

FROGSTAR: WAV collections. students use wav files to apply to historical situations.

Axiomatic Statements: students pick out axiomatic (enduring truth, self evident) statements within writing

Ideology: (unit complete) good to start class with. point out on internet the various ideologies so pervasive.

Criticize Propaganda: specific to propaganda... point out problems associated with propaganda.

Heuristic Model (rules of thumb): students compose own heuristics from historical situations

24 (jake): episode of 24: present initial problem or dilemma/attempted solution/new problem solution

Urban Myths: www.snopes.com students design urban myths according to topic. myth or reality game.

Roadtrip: (Jake) what to bring on a trip. good for policy issues and econ policy.

Graffiti: what would grafitti look like from a specific perspective and timeframe? different places, circumstances and perspectives.

Priceless: master card theme: __________ $400 million. ___________ $2 billion _____________ $180 million _______________________________ priceless...

Ali G: interviews of famous people in character.

Myspace.com: what would a myspace place look like from: pick from many...

DVD/VHS: elaboration is the best...

Power Point: info dump method... avoid if possible. use only when time is a factor. could be used as a way to get basic facts across.

Picture Books (A to Zoo): picture books used to illustrate more complex concepts. students could design own picture book.

The Gauntlet: teacher thinks of HARD ten questions.... students run the gauntlet. use teams. students can think of questions.

Info Dump: straight lecture (use PPT). don't use often.

Photoshop Makeovers:

Fridge Magnets:

Virals:

SMS: what would sms txt messaging look like in various contexts??

Monopoly: good for country studies (Germany, Russia, US)